Dan Burton

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Dan Burton
Dan Burton
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Indiana's 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 3, 1983
Preceded by Steve Buyer
Succeeded by Incumbent
Born June 21, 1938 (age 68)
Indianapolis, Indiana
Political party Republican
Spouse Samia Tawil
Religion Church of Christ

Danny "Dan" Lee Burton (born June 21, 1938), American politician, is a member of the United States House of Representatives for Indiana's 5th congressional district. A Republican, his first term in Congress began in January 1983. He was elected to his twelfth term in November 2006.

The 5th District is in central Indiana and includes all of Tipton, Grant, Miami, Wabash, Huntington, Hamilton, and Hancock counties, and parts of Marion, Shelby, Howard and Johnson counties. The 5th District has been labeled as one of the most gerrymandered districts for Republicans by many publications including the Indianapolis Star.[1]

Contents

[edit] Early years, education, and career prior to Congress

Burton was born in Indianapolis. He worked as a caddy at a local country club, where he learned the golf skills that lead to his winning a statewide golf championship in high school.[2] He graduated from Shortridge High School in 1957, and attended Indiana University (1958-59) and the Cincinnati Bible Seminary (now known as Cincinnati Christian University) (1959-60). He served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1957, before leaving active duty to return to high school, and the Army Reserves from 1957 to 1962. Burton was a real estate broker and he founded the Dan Burton Insurance Agency in 1968.[3]

Burton was a member of the Indiana State Senate from 1969 to 1970 and again from 1981 to 1982, and the Indiana House of Representatives from 1967 to 1968 and again from 1977 to 1980.

[edit] U.S. House of Representatives

[edit] Election to the House

Burton first ran for Congress in 1970, losing to incumbent Democrat Andrew Jacobs, Jr. Burton ran again in 1972, losing in the Republican primary to William Hudnut. [3]

After the 1980 census, the Republican-controlled state legislature created a new 6th District, representing the mostly Republican-leaning counties surrounding Indianapolis. Burton ran in 1982, defeating Bruce Melchart in the GOP primary and Democrat George Grabianowski in the general election. Burton has won every election since 1982, usually getting well above 60 percent of the vote.[3]

[edit] Committees

A senior member of the House Committee on International Relations, Burton is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and a member of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment. [4]

Burton is also a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He was Chairman of that committee, then called the House Government Reform Committee, from 1997 to 2002. He is now a member of two subcommittee: Domestic Policy, and on National Security and Foreign Affairs. [5]

Burton is also a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. [6]

[edit] Missed votes and unethical activity

In 1995, Burton led an unsuccessful effort to block tighter House rules on attending expense-paid charity golf events with lobbyists. Burton was one of the most frequent attendees of charity golf tournaments, and he defended the practice.[7]

In 1997, Burton played in the AT&T-sponsored Pebble Beach National Pro-Am with the company's chairman. At the time, Burton headed the congressional committee overseeing the award of a federal telecommunications contract. AT&T hosted a fundraiser for Burton at the tournament.[8]

In 2004, the Guam government and tourism industry paid for Burton and two aides to fly to the Pacific Island in December. In addition to some official events including touring a military facility, Burton played in a charity golf tournament. After he returned, Burton tried to help Guam's tourism industry get a sought-after change in visa rules.[9]

In 2005, Burton accepted a trip to Taiwan paid for by the ROC-USA Business Council. The junket cost $15,520.[10]

On the start of the 2007 legislative session of Congress, a measure banning lawmakers from accepting gifts and free trips from lobbyists and discounted trips on private planes was put before Congress. The measure passed 430-1, with Burton the sole vote against the measure. [11]

In February 2007, a review of House votes by the Indianapolis Star for the past decade showed that Burton had been absent every year votes coincided with the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Burton ranked last in voting among Indiana lawmakers in 2006, casting ballots in 89 percent of the 541 recorded votes.[12]

[edit] Anti-Cuban legislation

In 1995, Burton authored legislation targeting foreign companies that did business with Cuba. The bill allowed foreign companies to be sued in American courts if, in dealings with the regime of Fidel Castro, they acquired assets formerly owned by Americans. In February 1996, Cuba shot down two small planes piloted by anti-Castro Cuban-Americans. As part of the White House response to crack down on Cuba, President Clinton signed the Helms-Burton Act into law. [3]

[edit] Investigation of Democratic fund-raising

Main article:House Government Reform and Oversight Committee investigation of alleged campaign finance abuse

In 1997, Burton headed an investigation into possible Democratic Party campaign finance abuse, focusing on the 1996 Presidential election. The committee investigation ran for several years; one estimate was that it cost over $7 million. During its course, some newspapers called it a "travesty" and a "joke".

In March 1997, as the investigation was beginning, Burton was accused of demanding a $5,000 contribution from a Pakistani lobbyist. When the lobbyist was unable to raise the funds, the lobbyist said that Burton complained to the ambassador for the Bhutto government and later threatened to make sure "none of his friends or colleagues" would meet with the lobbyist or his associates. [13]

[edit] Autism advocacy

Burton has been an outspoken critic of what he terms the failure of government to determine the cause of an alleged autism epidemic. He claims that his grandson became autistic a few days after receiving nine inoculations. "My only grandson became autistic right before my eyes – shortly after receiving his federally recommended and state-mandated vaccines." [14]

In an October 25, 2000, letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, acting in his role as Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, Burton asked the agency's director to get the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recall all vaccines containing the preservative Thimerosal. "We all know and accept that mercury is a neurotoxin, and yet the FDA has failed to recall the 50 vaccines that contain Thimerosal," Burton wrote, adding "Every day that mercury-containing vaccines remain on the market is another day HHS is putting 8,000 children at risk."[15]

The U.S. Government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and most of the mainstream medical establishment do not agree that preservatives in vaccines that contain mercury are a cause of autism.

[edit] Other

In the late 1990s, Burton was the Hill's leading supporter of Sikh rights and a harsh critic of India, where the Sikhs were seeking to carve out their own independent nation. [2]

In July 2006, Burton fought and went onto to vote against extending the Voting Rights Act for minorities.[16]

[edit] Personal

Burton's father Charles, a former policeman, [2] was abusive. In June 1950, some years after the couple divorced, [2] he kidnapped Burton's mother and threatened to kill Burton's sister. Burton and his two siblings were briefly sent to the Marion County Children's Guardian Home; they were later reunited with their mother, [3] Burton's father died in 1969. [2]

Burton's first wife, Barbara (Logan) Burton, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 [17] at the age of 56. She died on in 2002 after battling breast and colon cancer. They had three children: Kelly, Danielle and Danny.

In September 1998, Burton admitted to fathering a son, born in 1983, with a former state employee. [3] [2] After the admission, a reporter wrote in the in the Indianapolis Star, "During part of the 1970s and '80s, Dan Burton was known as the biggest skirt-chaser in the Indiana legislature ... Privately, some of his fellow Republicans expressed embarrassment. Lobbyists whispered about the stories of Burton's escapades. Statehouse reporters joked about him. Yet no one ever wrote about, or probably thought about writing anything. To the people who sent him first to the legislature and then to Congress, Burton was Mr. Conservative, the devout husband and father who espoused family values. [2]

On August 22, 2006, Burton remarried to Dr. Samia Tawil in Park City, Utah. [3] Dr. Tawil was the internist who cared for Burton's wife, Barbara, during her battle with cancer.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070207/OPINION/702070385/1002
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Portrait of a political 'pit bull'", Salon magazine, December 22, 1998
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Rep. Dan Burton - Member of Congress representing Indiana's 5th District", "Library Factfiles", Indianapolis Star, updated 1/2007, retrieved February 25, 2007
  4. ^ House Committee on Foreign Affairs, retrieved February 25, 2007
  5. ^ Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, "Subcommittees", retrieved February 25, 2007
  6. ^ House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, "About the Committee", retrieved February 25, 2007
  7. ^ To golf, Burton missed 19 votes http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702060388
  8. ^ To golf, Burton missed 19 votes http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702060388
  9. ^ To golf, Burton missed 19 votes http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702060388
  10. ^ Indianapolis Star Editorial - He'd rather play golf than do job in Washington http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070207/OPINION/702070385/1002
  11. ^ Maureen Groppe, "Burton is lone foe of travel rule: Hoosier lawmaker is only member of Congress to vote against curbing privately funded trips", Gannett News Service, January 5, 2007
  12. ^ To golf, Burton missed 19 votes http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702060388
  13. ^ Charles R. Babcock, "http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/stories/cf031997.htm", Washington Post, March 19, 1997
  14. ^ Dan Burton, opening statement before the Committee on Government Reform, June 19, 2002
  15. ^ "Chairman Burton Requests Vaccine Recall", press release, October 26, 2000
  16. ^ US House of Rep. Clerk Roll Call 374 http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll374.xml
  17. ^ [1], Mothering Magazine, November-December 2001

[edit] External links


Preceded by
David W. Evans		 United States Representative for the 6th Congressional District of Indiana
1983-2003		 Succeeded by
Mike Pence
Preceded by
Steve Buyer		 United States Representative for the 5th Congressional District of Indiana
2003-present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
Indiana's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators: Dick Lugar (R), Evan Bayh (D)

Representative(s): Pete Visclosky (D), Joe Donnelly (D), Mark Souder (R), Steve Buyer (R), Dan Burton (R), Mike Pence (R), Julia Carson (D), Brad Ellsworth (D), Baron Hill (D)

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